Designs have been proposed for containers used with flowable substances wherein a closure is provided for being attached to the container mouth and wherein the closure includes a toggle-action actuator, flip-up spout, or nozzle assembly for dispensing the container contents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,346,100; 5,058,775; 4,962,869; 4,776,501; 4,645,086 and 3,516,581.
The toggle-action closures, such as those disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,346,100, 5,058,775, 4,962,869, and 4,776,501, require that the operator push down on a top, rear portion of the closure in order to pivot the actuator of the closure to the dispensing orientation.
When the actuator is pivoted to the dispensing position, a discharge passage in the actuator is in communication with the container contents, and the container contents can flow out through the actuator. Typically, such toggle-action closures are provided on squeezable containers fabricated from a thermoplastic material providing a inwardly deformable, resilient wall structure. When the container wall structure is squeezed, the contents within the container are forced upwardly and out through the open dispensing closure.
During shipping and handling, a toggle-action closure may be accidentally bumped or impacted in a way that causes the closure to pivot to the dispensing orientation. It is then possible for the contents to be discharged. If the container is lying on its side, the contents can leak out of the accidentally opened closure. If the container is in a carton, the carton may be subjected to rough handling causing the wall of the container to be temporarily squeezed inwardly and causing an unwanted discharge of a portion of the container contents through the open closure.
In order to prevent or substantially minimize the potential for leakage or spillage of container contents during shipping and handling of containers provided with toggle-action closures, the closure of the type disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,869 was developed. This closure has effectively solved a long-felt need to prevent inadvertent discharge through toggle-action closures during shipping and handling.
The closure disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,869 provides a unique structure which prevents or greatly inhibits the opening of the toggle-action actuator during shipping and handling. In particular, the closure body is provided with an upstanding abutment or resistance post under a rear portion of the toggle-action actuator. The actuator includes a shearing wall for confronting the abutment post when the actuator is initially closed in the non-dispensing position. When a moderate force is applied to the rear of the actuator, the actuator will not tilt upwardly to the open position because the shearing wall engages the abutment.
The abutment is designed to withstand the forces typically encountered during shipping and handling. However, the abutment is designed to be sheared off when the actuator is subjected to at least a predetermined force greater than the forces typically encountered during shipping and handling. When the consumer uses the closure for the first time, the consumer must apply, to the rear of the actuator, a force at least equal to the predetermined force so as to cause the shearing wall to shear off the abutment. Thereafter, the consumer can subsequently open the actuator by applying a much lower force.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,100 describes a toggle-action dispensing closure provided for manipulation between a closed, non-dispensing orientation and an open, dispensing orientation. The closure includes an actuator mounted on a body secured to the container. The body has an angular control surface at the base of an abutment which is broken by a shearing wall of the actuator. The control surface influences the fracture of the abutment from the control surface through the abutment. With this surface, the fracture is more likely to occur within a predetermined narrow range of forces applied to the actuator.
The above-discussed designs disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,869 and 5,346,100 function very well and satisfy the objectives of preventing or inhibiting leakage during shipping and handling. However, the present inventor has recognized that the precise magnitude of the force required to shear off the abutment is not easily determinable, and the required shear force may vary somewhat from closure to closure. The present inventor has recognized that it would be desirable to provide an improved design in which the required shear force is even more predictable and controllable and which, for some applications, could also optionally accommodate adjustment of the design parameters to provide an abutment that would predictably shear off when subjected to a smaller shear force than required for conventional designs.
The toggle-action dispensing closure of the present invention includes a closure body mounted to, or formed with, a container, and a pivotable actuator engaged to the closure body.
The closure body can be adapted for engaging the container over the opening to the container. The body defines a discharge aperture communicating with the container opening.
The actuator is pivotally mounted on the body on a tilting axis for occluding flow from the container through the discharge aperture when the actuator is in a closed, non-dispensing position. The actuator permits flow from the container when sufficient force is applied to the actuator to pivot or tilt the actuator to an open, dispensing position.
The invention provides an improved actuation-prevention abutment extending from the closure body and a recessed striker rib extending from the actuator which together prevent pivoting of the actuator to open the closure unless a sufficient force is exerted on the actuator to force the striker rib to move an otherwise interfering portion of the abutment.
The movable abutment prevents, or reduces the likelihood of, an inadvertent, premature opening or actuation of the closure to the dispensing position during shipping and handling.
Before the closure can be opened for the first time by the consumer, the abutment is moved, such as by a portion thereof being bent or sheared off by the striker rib.
The actuator striker rib extends downwardly toward the body and is in close proximity to the movable abutment when the actuator is in the non-dispensing position. The abutment prevents the complete tilting of the actuator to the dispensing position in response to the actuator being subjected to a tilting force less than a predetermined force. However, when the actuator is subjected to at least the predetermined force, the striker rib moves the abutment to a noninterfering position with respect to the actuator so that, thereafter, the actuator can be tilted to the dispensing position in response to the application of a force less than the predetermined force. The movable abutment is "movable" in that a portion can either be sheared from the body or permanently bent over with respect to the body.
The striker rib is located within a periphery of the actuator, recessed inwardly of a rear wall of the actuator. The movable abutment is also located recessed inwardly from a rear wall of the body, and located inwardly from the striker rib when the actuator is in a closed position, before the initial opening of the closure. By using an inwardly located striker rib instead of a shearing wall located at a rear of the actuator, a lever mechanical advantage is achieved. A tilting force exerted on a rear edge of the actuator at a first distance from the tilting axis of the actuator is multiplied at the striker rib, which is located at a second, shorter distance from the tilting axis.
In the embodiment wherein the movable abutment is sheared by the striker rib, in order to control the manner in which, and the force at which, the abutment is sheared, the body has a control surface at the base of the abutment. The control surface is obliquely angled and extends out from the front and rear surface of the abutment, and preferably also extends laterally from the sides of the abutment. The control surface controls the direction of fracture of the abutment. With this surface, fracture is more likely to occur within a predetermined narrow range of forces applied to the abutment via a force on the actuator.
The toggle-action dispensing closure of the present invention is adapted to be mounted over or formed on, the opening of a container, especially a container of the type having a generally flexible wall portion which can be squeezed to assist in dispensing the contents from the container.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.